VATICAN CITY (RNS) In the first century B.C., a grassy hillside just north of what is now St. Peter’s Square was used as a burial place for local Romans. Now the Vatican is ready to let the public see what it uncovered there.

(RNS) No one wants to talk about death at the dinner table, says Lizzy Miles, a social worker in Columbus, Ohio. But sometimes people need to talk about the “taboo” topic. Hence the birth of “death cafes.”